Month: January 2017

Translation- “And Sister Chapple…has gone! To Parque Celeste!!! Leaving Ribeirão by way of the river)

My time in Iguatemi is officially over. This week, I had the chance to reflect on all of my blessings there, and how I know that I will also love my new area here in Parque Celeste. I know that I can work even harder, be more obedient in the small things, work more efficiently with the members, and remember the Savior in all things in order to testify of him with all I have and all I am. This is something I felt yesterday after church, because there are still so many things I would like to do in Iguatemi, with the people we are working with now. I need to give my best always in order to serve the Lord as I can, and help his children know the Savior, estou muito feliz. Sometimes, (more like all the time) I just can’t believe how blessed I am. The friendships I have made here will last for my entire life.

I was transferred to São Jose do Rio Preto, which is 3.5 hours from Ribeirao, by bus. My new companion, Sister Martinez, is from Mexico, and she is ending her mission (she only has 6 more weeks, just like Sister Ayala). I am going to live with another sister from Argentina, and a Brazilian. I just am super excited to be here, and to have a fresh start, and the opportunity to know more of Heavenly Fathers children here in Brazil.

My last week in Iguatemi was a week of many spiritual experiences, where it was clear that the spirit was accompanying us in many things. Sister Ayala and I had the opportunity to testify of the Savior to so many people.

The gospel is not important because of the church, it is important because through the gospel we will know the Savior.- who he really is and the difference that knowing him can make for us. I feel like as much as I am trying every day more to serve others and make a difference, that the mission is really making the biggest difference for me. Here I am learning more and more how to really be like the Savior.

We had one of our investigators, Clarisse, visit the church this Sunday. She is a woman who is an incredible example of asking questions, and real desire to gain knowledge. Sister Ayala and I have been talking about Peter, the apostle, and the example he is of humility. I am really learning in the mission the importance to study the gospel, and ponder it, and use questions to gain knowledge. I am learning to love the Book of Mormon unlike ever before.

It´s hard to believe that I have already passed 1/3 of my mission. I just want time to stop right now so I can stay in the mission and keep learning in this way forever. Missionaries are seriously so blessed. I know that I am super lucky to be here!

Sorry, I didn’t bring my camera to the lan-house, so there won’t be any pics today….But I want you to know that I’m happy, and that while I might not know anything about the millions of questions that the Brazilians (sometimes) ask me about Donald Trump and how he is “ruining everything in the United States”, but if they stop to ask me about the Savior, I will know what to say about his love for each one us. I know that I am so loved, and so lucky. And I love each one of you. And I know I am SO BLESSED!!

Have Faith have hope, live like his son, help others on their way! What does he ask? Live like his son!

In efforts to try to make up for my lack of emails, here´s something special I prepared for you guys: a week in the life of ME! ( I hope you are all as excited as I am) I wish I could convey to you just how special every single week is and how different, but blessed, and also all of the things we do each day that are cool and awesome that I am already accustomed to (such as eating rice and beans everyday, ha, ha… but here we go….)!

Monday- An Irma brought us to this super chique mall, called (Ribeirão Shopping) and we are poor so we didn’t buy anything except for food, but this pizza cal zone that we bought was the best ever, so it was definitely worth our time/money. These pictures with the look out of a part of Ribeirao are from there. Then, when p-day ended at 6 pm, we ran around trying to contact some of our investigators, but didn’t have much luck. We ended up teaching Luciana a short lesson right when p-day ended. I wish everyone was like her, so ready to receive the gospel, with so much faith, and so much love for the Lord. I want to take here back to the U.S. with me!

Tuesday- We had interviews with Pres. Scholz. He always asks us if we´re happy (and if you’re wondering the answer is yes). At this interview, he told me “no pressure, you only have the REST of your life to remember your mission (better make it worth it)” haha. He always interviews us in English. We had a duda, a young woman, help us today, and she shared such a powerful testimony in one of our lessons, about how the gospel is happiness, sharing her favorite scripture, Mosiah 2:41.

Wednesday- We had district meeting, and Sister Ayala and Sister Dobson gave a training on the Book of Mormon and testimony. When I think about what the Book of Mormon means to me, and the experiences (big and small) that gave me my testimony, it was a really special experience. I remember the first time I knew that the Book of Mormon was true was singing “We´ll Bring the Lord his Truth” in primary. Ever since I was 5 years old, the spirit has testified to me of the truthfulness during this song. But I have had many, many more experiences with the Book of Mormon now. They are not huge things, but small testimonies of it through the holy ghost, what I know about the Savior, and his love for me, I know through the Book of Mormon. Then we had a doctors appointment for Sister Ayala, and by the time we got back, we only had one lesson, but the Lord blessed us SO MUCH because the first person we talked to (in our area), we taught the restoration to (100% accuracy today). Then we had a meeting with our ward mission leader, like every week. If you’re praying for more missionary experiences and don’t know what to do, ask if you can attend this meeting, and you’ll be blessed 🙂

Thursday- Ana Laura, another young woman, helped us today. One of our investigators told us that she doesn’t want to investigate anymore, the other wouldn’t let us have an official lesson because she was annoyed that our family home evening fell through, and even though the day was a little chaotic, it was also awesome, because we still felt the spirit. Seeing people reject the gospel but knowing it is true builds our testimonies.

Friday- ROSE moved back to our area! And we had a lesson with her and ate sweet rice, and we also had a lesson with Angela and William, who sister Moura and I taught way back in the first week of my mission. I have been feeling like we need to teach them again, and we have been trying to contact them, and finally did. I want to help them let the gospel change their lives.

Saturday- Today passed incredibly slowly because although we had 3 lessons, we also walked and walked and walked, but we also had a barbecue at the church with some of the members (for lunch) and taught English in the church at 10 am, just that we had 0 students. So we taught the other missionaries and our ward mission leader. But we still loved Saturday.

Sunday- Luciana shared with us an experience that she had where she defended Joseph Smith and the gospel to one of her colleges at work. Another woman who is investigating the gospel, but is having a lot of doubts. But Luciana is incredible because she really searches to develop her testimony, and she knows the reality of the gospel. I am so blessed to know her.

I am so blessed to be a missionary, blessed to be in Brazil, blessed to have the scriptures, the Savior, my family, the gospel, Luciana, Sister Ayala, all of you. I want you all to know that I am happy here. Not because it is not our circumstances or our success that brings happiness, but our attitude through the Savior Jesus Christ. And I know I am SO BLESSED.

Have Faith have hope, live like his son, help others on their way! What does he ask? Live like his son!

Sister Chapple

Irmã Suzi, her daughter Giovanna, Giovanna´s friend also named Giovanna, and all of us, at the mall, spending all the money we don’t have (haha we only bought food.)

Our yummy pizza cal zone at the mall

Us and Ana Laura

Fruits from another state in the northeast of Brazil, Ceara, that don’t exist here, but Lucianas mom brought for us 🙂

At the top of Ribeirao Shopping

This dog that we love that is the members dog, and they are out of town, so we have been keeping her company.

Rosangela’s son

Us at a “feira” that is every sexta feira in the street super close to our house

Translation- Iguatemi-inhas member records will be transferred here soon…

Today marks 5 months here in Iguatemi! And these 5 months have consisted of huge blessings and growth. The Lord blessed us so greatly this week, and this week was my week here in the mission in which I recognized how much the spirit really is accompanying us.

I always have so much to write but then I log on and forget everything about the week…

This week we started working with a woman named Viviane. Heavenly father is letting her know and experience the gospel at the moment when she needs it the most. I am so excited to see how the gospel will blesses her life. She moved to Ribeirão only 2 months ago. We had a ward activity, “dessert night”, which she came to and that is how we got to know her. She came with a member in our ward, who lives in the same apartment complex as her. I will try to write more about her next week. Our lessons with her have been so spiritual. The gospel is so true. Heavenly Father Loves us so much. And I love being a missionary. I love the personal progress I am making. I love the knowledge the gospel gives us of the love of our Heavenly Father. In other news, this week was SUPER blessed for us in SO many ways.

I will have to catch you up on more next week (seriously, sorry). I don’t have much time to write today, but know that I love you all, and that I love the Lord, and that I am so happy to be here (and so blessed )!

Have Faith have hope, live like his son, help others on their way! What does he ask? Live like his son!

Sister Chapple

It is Summer in Ribeirao Preto. Check out these serious tan lines from her favorite Chacos!

The mission is a huge opportunity to develop humility. I believe that this week in the mission has been one of the most humbling experiences that I have ever had. And I´m not really sure why, or how to explain, but the Lord is shaping me into the person that he wants me to be. And sometimes that means cutting me down first.

One of the miracles that happened this week is that Luciana’s husband, Batista (whose name is actually John Batista) is starting to me more of our friend. Which seems like a strange miracle, but we are praying for him to come to want to know the gospel. So, without explaining everything, he is starting to like us more, and that is a miracle.

We are having a super hard time finding people to teach right now, and have also had to stop teaching a lot of people this week who are not progressing. And that´s been hard, but what´s comforting is to know that the Lord is PREPARING his children for the gospel, as he prepared Luciana. And that is what matters. That is why we are here, doing our best to be the servants that the Lord needs here, right now. And that´s how it will always be with the Lord, he will test us and try us and stretch us and help us grow into what he wants us to be.

So, I am learning more patience and perseverance, more love for my companion, more about the scriptures, and more trust in the Lord.

This week Erika stopped progressing. I never even got to sharing what a miracle it was that the Lord led us to her when he did. She was an answer to our prayers, and we planted seeds for her that will help her to accept the restored gospel one day.

Other than that, Luciana is inspiring me more and more every week with her incredible faith and love for the gospel, and as she says, learning more and more every day. We had lunch at her house for the first time of many for the missionaries here in Iguatemi. I already planned my last lunch in the mission to be here.

It’s a relief here in the mission that all of the “festas” are over now, because it means that almost everyone is returning back home. And there were 126 people in our ward this Sunday instead of 46 like there were for Christmas. Included in the millions of the people that traveled were Vitinho, and Rosângela e João (who I missed so much- all of them).

I think that to be a missionary is a bigger blessing for me than it is for the people here. I am always working to enjoy every single second of my mission and not let it pass by with any regrets. I know that the Lord will place in my path people prepared to receive the gospel, and bless our efforts, and for this, get excited for an email next week about the Lord´s elites (that’s not english but cant remember that word in english anymore) and how he will bless us incredibly this week.

I wanted to share an experience that I had in our Gospel Principles class. We learned about signs of the second coming and watched a video about a gardener that always takes care of this huge mansion the best he can even though the owner rarely comes to visit. That’s how our lives need to be. We need to be always doing our best to be like Him, to prepare for when He comes again. I know that I will kneel at his feel and cry with gratitude for all he has done for me and all he is doing. For all the times that I am too weak to go on that he has carried me. I know that my Savior is and will continue to be my best friend, and that with him all things are possible. And that’s why I want to be here. To help others to know my Savior and love him as I do. And I know that I will only grow to love him more and more, and through this, he will strengthen me in all things.

Have Faith have hope, live like his son, help Others on their way! What does he ask? Live like his son!

Alright, here we go! 2016 was awesome and also not always easy but looking back, it’s so easy to see how much the lord has blessed me, and my growth through the year. This is the year that I have made so many landmarks.

-finished my first year at BYU

-received my mission call

-received my endowment

-lived with my cousin and one of my best friends ever at college

-passed through the CTM

-made it to Brazil, and learned to speak Portuguese

-I’ve had 2 companions, and one area here in the Iguatemi Ward

-sang for Elder Renlund

-came to know and Love President and Sister Scholz, Brazil, and the mission

-was blessed to love and teach Vitinho, Rose/Adão, and Luciana, and see them be baptized

-Received SO MANY BLESSINGS FROM THE LORD!!

I wish I had more time to count how much I loved 2016. But the awesome thing is that I know 2017 will be awesome too. I am grateful for new starts. That’s why we have repentance. That’s why we have the sacrament. That’s why we have the Savior.

D&C 19:16-19

16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

I love you all and miss you but will have to wait to hug you all again here in one year (p.s. I will have 6 MONTHS IN THE MISSION HERE SOON…which is CRAZY!)

I promise I will try to write more next week!

p.s. There were 7 minutes of straight fireworks for the new year when we were already sleeping—LOL and anyone who knows me knows that I slept through all of it LOL.

Have Faith have hope, live like his son, help Others on their way! What does he ask? Live like his son!

Sister Chapple

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